instantphoto.eu Adapting a Polaroid CB70 Back on a Mamiya Universal/Pola 600SE
This page will explain the mount of an adapter for the Mamiya Universal
or the Polaroid 600SE on a CB70 film back, that is a back
for Polaroid/Impossible integral film, be it the SX70 or the 600
version. Instead of making the adapter myself, I bought a kit from the
famous action site (in Italy). It wasn't even expensive (some 70€). The
seller was extremely helpful, he backed me through the process of
assembling with a very basic English, but perfectly understandable.
You
can make the adapter yourself of course, for example on the basis of
the frame from a Polaroid 405 back. However, there is a drawback:
you'll have to grind down the frame to quite some extent to get the
right distance between frame and film plane. You can't just swap
the 103 and the CB70, the focus would no longer be o.k.. The kit
consists of two thin frames, the first be be fixed on the CB70,
the second to be screwed on the first.
Here are some photos of the mounting:
The CB70 back itself.
First check whether the contact is set between pin 2 and 3 then do a function text with an empty cartridge.
The Italian kit, everything is included.
Mounting of the seals between the back and the first frame and of 4 "guides" for the next frame.
The two frames.
The first frame has beem put into place.
The
first frame has been screwed and prepared for the mounting of the
second. The arrow shows the part which was too long and hindered
the back to be mounted on the camera. A miscalculation of the seller by
just one mm, but no problem. I sent him the assembly and he redressed
it at his expense.
The second frame is mounted after installing the Mamiya "claws". There is a version for the 600SE.
The
CB70 back on my Mamiya Universal. The 50mm Optics cover the entire
surface of the film. And yes, the "leathering" has to be changed.
To mount the camera on a tripod you will need an adapter.
First
photo. Its double inversed (top-bottom, left-right) as there is no
mirror. No focus problem. There was a light leak on the upper side (on
the bottom of the photo). Yes it's the PX70 color protection. The
colours are better and there is no shading problem after ejection of
the photo, but it's still ways from a Pola. It's very grainy.
When
the cartridge was empty I took off the back. There were no light seals
on the back of the camera. Obviously there were no problems with a pack
100 back which has a broader frame and a dark slide. As you pull the
slide only when you take a photo, there were no light leaks visible.
Pretty stupid nevertheless. No leaks any more after placing new
seals.
So a CB70 back on a Universal or 600SE is possible. As
there is no dark slide, there are three options if you want to
interchange optics: you loose one photo, you pull out the cartridge in
the dark and push the cardboard dark slide on top of it or you
interchange optics in a sleeve. But it's qite some fun.
